We would like to extend our appreciation to the Washington Growers League, the Shippers and Growers Association, and to the management and workers of all participating companies without whom this study would not have been possible.

We would also like to thank Claire Olsovsky, Yolanda Gomez, Estella Sicairos, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries SHARP Program, and Mary Miller for their assistance in data collection and interpretation. And finally, we would like to thank the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center for its financial support of the project.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Field Research and Consultation Group (Field Group) of the University of Washington Department of Environmental Health recruited, with the assistance of the Washington Growers League, three fruit packing companies in Yakima County, Washington to participate in an investigation of the musculoskeletal risks in the packing house industry. The goal of this study was to better understand the nature of musculoskeletal risks in this industry and to provide employers and employees with information to assist in the development of controls to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs).

Ergonomic evaluations were performed on sorting, packing, and segregating job tasks at three Washington apple warehouses. Observations of job tasks, workplace measurements, worker interviews, and videotaping were performed in April and May 1999. Data collected were then used to characterize and analyze musculoskeletal risk factors for six packing house jobs. Particular attention was paid to the manual and semi-automatic bagging and tray filling operations. The Washington State Ergonomics Rule, WAC-296-62-051, was finalized during the course of this evaluation, and an assessment of how this rule might apply to these jobs was also conducted.

There was good agreement among the variety of assessment instruments used with regard to the body sites at greatest risk of musculoskeletal injury. Repetition, static loading of neck and back, and extended reaches produced risk for injury to the back, shoulders, hand/wrist, and neck in sorters. Repetition, static loading of neck and back, high force, and extended reaches were evident in packing jobs, increasing the potential risk to shoulders, upper back, hand/wrist, shoulders, and elbows. Segregators were observed to engage in tasks with high force, repetition, and awkward postures creating a potential for back and shoulder injuries. Objective measures suggested that segregators were at high risk for injury, although they did not report symptoms. All jobs had at least one task that met the criteria of a “caution zone jobs” under the new Washington State Ergonomics Rule. Several jobs had at least on hazard zone risk factor. This report concludes with a variety of ergonomic risk factor reduction recommendations.